Almost 90% of parents have had to cut back or delay spending in order to pay the voluntary contribution charge to schools.
A new report from St. Vincent de Paul has found the average payment per child is €140, with some schools charging as much as €550.
Out of 1,500 respondents, more than three quarters said it was not clearly communicated that the payments were optional.
Niamh Dalziel from SVP says the government should to intervene:
